2020
UNDEREXPOSED
FILM FESTIVAL yc
Giant Bear
Giant Bear
BLOCK B
THEME: Around the World
THURSDAY | 7 - 9 PM
Animation | 2018 | 11 min. 30 sec.
Official Selection
Suggested Rating | PG-13
Country | Canada
Language | Inuktitut
Producers | Neil Christopher, Monica Ittusardjuat, Nadia Mike, Danny Christopher, Archita Ghosh, Emily Paige, Louise Flaherty
Directors | Neil Christopher, Daniel Gies
Writer | Jose Angutinngurniq, Neil Christopher
Cast | Solomon Awa, Beatrice Deer
[Athens Animfest • Annecy International Animation Film Festival • Regard 23 • Cape Town International Animation Festival • Glas Animation Festival • Animamundi • Fantasia • Dawson City International Short Film Festival • Yorkton Film Festival]
ᓇᓄᕐᓗᒃ / Giant Bear | A timeless Inuit legend about a solitary man, a giant bear and their daunting foes: each other. Centered on a confrontation between the last monster bear and an Inuit hunter, Giant Bear is a chilling short that brings an ancient story out of the North. In Giant Bear, we follow a hunter in the depths of starvation. The snow is thick, his dogs are mysteriously dying and food is nowhere to be found. A quest for answers leads him straight to a nanurluk, an iceberg-sized polar bear, setting up a “kill or be killed” battle that pits one man’s wits against a fearsome foe.
ABOUT THE DIRECTORS
NEIL CHRISTOPHER | Many years ago, Neil moved to Resolute Bay in northern Canada. Neil quickly fell in love with the North—the landscape, the wildlife, and the culture. It was also in those first years in the North that Neil was introduced to the rich mythology of the Canadian Inuit. For the last ten years, Neil has been researching Inuit myths and legends and has used this research to develop publications for children, youth, and adults. In 2012, Neil wrote and directed his first animated film, Amaqqut Nunaat: The Country of Wolves. This film was an international success, garnishing many awards and critical acclaim. The success of that film prompted Neil to start the film company Taqqut Productions with his publishing colleagues, Louise Flaherty and Danny Christopher. Neil currently lives with his family in the capital of Nunavut, Iqaluit.
DANIEL GIES | Daniel is a Co-founder and the Art + Tech Director at e→d films, a Montreal-based animation studio that makes award-winning films with a handcrafted feel. With 20 years worth of projects behind him, Daniel is an accomplished animator and inventor. His peers know him as a leader in pushing the limits of off-the-shelf animation software through use of customized scripting, hybridization, and creative programming. His extensive library - comprised of more than 200 online video tutorials which explore his innovative and unique computer animation techniques - has an active and organically growing international online following. When he’s not doodling in his sketchbook or experimenting with animation techniques, he can be found with paper and glue in his hands.
RELATED LINKS
Website | https://edfilms.net/studio/the-nanurluk-giant-bear/
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/taqqut and https://facebook.com/ee.dee.Films/
Twitter | https://twitter.com/edfilmsworld
Vimeo | https://vimeo.com/taqqut and https://vimeo.com/danielgies
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0CFir9CFmiX8dotadvOb_w/videos and https://www.youtube.com/user/everyonediesfilms